Influenced by a friend, I was obsessed with soccer until kindergarten. I often played catch with my father, who had baseball experience, but one day I realized its appeal when I watched a serious match between a pitcher and a batter. I was captivated by the delicate pitching skills, the power of powerful hitters, and the gripping serious matches, and started playing baseball in elementary school. I continued playing baseball in junior high and high school, and in my third year, I participated in the National High School Baseball Championship. Unfortunately, I was eliminated in the second round, but after being scouted by the manager of the J. F. Oberlin University baseball club who was watching the game, I decided to join the team because I wanted to make up for the frustration at Koshien in university.
Although the J. F. Oberlin University baseball club is a large group of 150 members, it has an open atmosphere where opinions can be exchanged across grade levels. However, that doesn't mean they get along well. If the team practices aimlessly and lacks focus, regardless of grade or position, the members who notice will interrupt practice and rethink how everyone should approach. Managing 150 players is tough, but as captain, I always try to think from the opponent's perspective.

When he first joined the team, he hit many home runs and was making steady contributions, but then he suddenly hit a slump. It happened when he faced Ginji Miura, a pitcher from Hosei University who is now playing professionally, during his first year of university. He was astonished by the speed of Miura's pitches and couldn't do anything about it. After the game, he thought, "I have to hit no matter what," and even modified his batting form. However, the more he panicked, the more things went wrong, and there was a period when he was unable to play in games for a while.
The problem was that I was only focused on getting playing time in games. I was so obsessed with developing my skills that I thought, "If I continue like this, I won't be able to play in games." But what's important isn't skill, but "mind." No matter how skilled a player is, if they step up to the plate without getting their mind in order, they won't get results. When I thought about "who I'm standing on the field for," I realized it was for the team's victory. Since then, I've been stepping up to the plate with the feeling that "I'm hitting not for myself, but for the team."

"I saw your eyes at Koshien, and I believed in them, so I made you captain." To live up to the words my coach gave me, I am serving as captain with the resolve that this will be the culmination of my baseball career so far. Last year, we were defeated in the second round of the All Japan University Baseball Championship. The reason for the defeat was the difference in physical strength. Starting this year, we have introduced training using an original app to improve our physical condition. Since the results of training such as bench press are visualized as rankings, a sense of competition among the team members has been created more than ever before.
Our goal this year is, of course, to "conquer the nation." However, first we must win the league matches in front of us. It's still early in the league, but there are still many plays where we haven't capitalized on decisive opportunities. What we lack is an awareness of the importance of every single run. We must become a unit that fights for the game in front of us. What lies beyond serious practice is the bright and cheerful baseball that is characteristic of Obirin. We will win the league matches so that everyone can see our characteristic cheerful play and the fighting spirit in the eyes of our team members on the field of the Japan University Baseball Championship.